Tractor Tires

Because of early pneumatic tire pioneers Charles Goodyear and his development of vulcanization, which made rubber both elastic and non-sticking, thus rendering it suitable for use in pneumatic tires. And Benjamin Franklin Goodrich who's pneumatic tires were on the first cars manufactured in the United States. The Tire industry would usher in the next major advance in improved tractor technology. The lack of practical pneumatic tires had, until the early 1930s, hampered the universal use of tractors. While tractors with lugged metal wheels suitable for plowing could not be used on surfaced public roads, solid tires suitable for road use were inadequate in wet fields. Solid lugged wheels were also unsuitable for cultivation purposes, as they caused too much damage to the roots of crops. The first tires for farm tractors were sold in 1932. They were special, low-pressure pneumatic tires which seemed capable of meeting the varied service requirements demanded of farm tractors. And thus started one of the most rapid and striking changes in farm equipment history. Less than three years later, in 1935, nearly 20,000 tractors (14 percent of the wheel tractor production) were equipped with rubber tractor tires at the factory. Left Not until the early 30's were rubber tractor tires even available for tractor applications. All tractors were configured much like the Oliver 70 RC on the left. That figure kept jumping spectacularly. In 1936, it was 31 percent; in 1937, it was 42 percent; in 1938, it was 65 percent; in 1939, it was 83 percent. By 1940 more than 90 percent of all wheel tractors were sold on rubber. Rubber tires soon showed they could do all of these things on other implements, as well as on tractors.

Bellow Despite this mid 30's ad promoting Oliver Tractor Companies Tip Toe wheels as the "modern way to apply power" . The steel wheel would become obsolete only a few years later Agricultural experiment stations put rubber tires to the test. Purdue found, in actual farming tests extending over the working season, that pneumatic tires save an average of more than 14% in fuel and increase drawbar horse power by 15 to 21 percent. Ohio State University tests revealed that tractors equipped with rubber tires could plow 27 percent more, with 23 percent less fuel, than tractors mounted on steel. It required but 31.4 percent as much power to move the rubber-tired tractor on sod, and 54.1 percent as much power on plowed ground. With both rubber and steel tired tractors, the University of Nebraska made tests cultivating corn, combining wheat, binding oats, drilling wheat, picking corn, plowing and moving hay. In all these farm operations, the rubber-tired tractors saved 13.1 percent in time and 17.9 percent in fuel. University of Illinois experiments showed that rubber tires allow a tractor to roll so easily that "there is 20 to 25 per cent more horse power available at the drawbar than is the case with steel wheels, a saving of nearly 25 percent in fuel for heavy work, and a year-round saving of 14 to 17. Implements Last Longer Aided by the cushioning effect of rubber tires, the speed of farm machinery improved noticeably. Rubber-tired tractors were hitched to trailers and wagons mounted on rubber, replacing the farm truck in some instances. Ohio State tests showed what putting wagons on rubber would do to make it easy on team or tractor: a 6,275-pound load of hay on cultivated soil required only a 780-pound pull when mounted on rubber, while a 6,325-pound load on steel required a pull of 1,175 pounds.

Iowa State engineers tested two manure spreaders over five miles of graveled road. One was equipped with rubber tires; the other was on steel. Shocks to the frames of each were measured at speeds of 2 1/2 and 5 miles an hour. At the lower speed, the steel-wheeled spreader received 4,431 shocks; the rubber-tired spreader, only 709 shocks. These shocks on the steelwheeled implement varied in force up to 1,988 pounds; on the rubber-tired spreader, up to 1,288 pounds. At five miles an hour, the rubber-tired spreader received only 528 shocks; the steel-tired spreader, 18,251. That's 34.5 times as many. Engineers estimate that the useful lives of some implements are prolonged 25 percent by putting them on rubber Allis Chalmers Early Pioneer In 1930 , Allis Chalmers engineers had begun experiments with pneumatic tires. In April, 1932, a pair of Firestone 48 x 12 airplane tires were mounted on an AC Model U tractor belonging to Albert Schroeder of Waukesha, Wis. This test proofed extremely successful. In 1933 Allis Chalmers unveiled a "hot rod" tractor at the Wisconsin State Fair. The tractor was shown working a plow then a local racing driver, Frank Brisco, took it to 35.4mph on the now historical Milwaukee Mile Race Track. This created a sensation and Allis-Chalmers capitalized on the success by starting a tractor racing team. Valuable publicity was generated and by 1937 around 50 percent of new tractors sold in the United States were fitted with pneumatic tires.

Actual News story titled TRACTOR SPEED AMAZING from The Wisconsin Agriculturist and Farmer 1933 Fans attending the A. A. A. automobile races at the Wisconsin State Fair Grounds in Milwaukee June 18 were amazed when an air-tired farm tractor, which had been giving a plowing demonstration in the infield of the race track, was unhooked from the plow, and run onto the race track to establish an all time world's speed record of 35.4 miles an hour for a farm tractor, average for 5 miles. Driven by Frank Brisko, nationally known race driver who made 118 miles an hour at Indianapolis this year and was second in the race there until mechanical trouble forced him out, the bright orange colored tractor displayed a brand of speed which never before has been associated with the plodding iron horse. After Albert Schroeder, prominent Waukesha County, Wisconsin farmer, had plowed in front of the grandstand at a speed of five miles an hour, he unhitched and turned the tractor over to Brisko. Those in the stands inclined to sit back and grin at the absurdity of a farm tractor on the race track, were soon sitting on the edge of their seats wondering if they were dreaming. The tractor, one of the new models recently introduced, with the aid of its air tires held the curves on the track like the speediest racers. The speed was officially electrically timed by A. A. A. officials who also expressed amazement at the performance of this farm tractor. It was demonstrated in the Milwaukee A. A. A. test that the farm tractor has entered on a new field of usefulness and that its service is no longer confined to the fields alone, but can be adapted to hauling uses on the highways. In addition to the new tires, the speed record was made possible by the development of a four speed transmission which gives the new tractor the same operating ease of a pleasure car. It was the first time that engineers had been able to adapt the transmission principles of the automobile with success to the tractor. Goodyear Tractor Tire Promotional Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ArChT6MaBI 1930's Goodyear Tractor Tire Promotion Film Farmers were very skeptical that rubber tractor tires could out perform steel tractor wheels. Since most farmer had never even seen rubber tractor tire performance let alone driven a tractor on on rubber the Goodyear tire company release this tractor tire promotional film in 1930 Most all farmers assumed that they'd be able to get more traction in certain situations on steel wheels than a rubber tires. The film compares tire performance and shows steel wheeled tractor getting stuck in the mud while a tractor with pneumatic tractor tires keep pulling

First Tractor Tires

The first tractor tires for farm tractors were sold in 1932. thus started one of the most rapid and striking changes in farm equipment history. In a very short time, rubber tractor tires dominated the new equipment market. In 1935, only a few manufacturers offering rubber tractor tires, 14 percent of the tractors sold rolled on soft wheels. By 1939, the proportion had climbed to 83 percent.

In 1932 a few tractor companies were experimenting with rubbertired farm tractors with encouraging results. Allis Chalmers was the leader in the field when they fitted an Allis-Chalmers U tractor with low-pressure airplane tires from Firestone Rubber Co. That same year Allis-Chalmers announced air tractor tires as standard equipment on the Model U.

Tractor Tires Pull Tractor Sales Out of Depression The first tires for farm tractors were sold in 1932. and started one of the most rapid and striking influence on tractor sales Less than three years later, in 1935, nearly 20,000 tractors (14 per cent of the wheel tractor sales) were equipped with rubber tires at the factory. That figure kept jumping spectacularly. In 1936, it was 31 per cent; in 1937, it was 42 per cent; in 1938, it was 65 per cent; in 1939, it was 83 per cent. And in 1941 more than 90 per cent of all wheel tractors were sold on rubber. This swing to rubber in the short space of five years is astonishing in it' s self. But considering the tractor tire option cost nearly $200 and it occurred during the great depression and the worst drought in U.S. history makes the rapid change even more astonishing In earlier days when horses provided almost all farm power, implements such as binders or mowers drew their power from a bullwheel, a large wheel with cleats or lugs that was forced to turn as the implement ran over the ground. When conditions were good, the implements wheels rolled and turned the rest of the machinery, but when the ground was soft or muddy, the wheels often slid along under motionless shafts and cogwheels. Yet this crude system continued well into the farm tractoror era.